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Platini: You can count on me

Former France international Michel Platini will lead UEFA until at least 2019 and vowed "you know that you can count on me".

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AFP

Written ByPeter Thompson

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Michel Platini was on Tuesday re-elected unchallenged for a
third term as UEFA president and insisted "you know that you can
count on me".

It was confirmed at the UEFA Congress in Vienna that the
legendary former France international will continue in the role for
at least another four years

Platini, who defeated Lennart Johansson to take over the role in
2007, expressed his gratitude to national associations for backing
him to remain in the post.

He said: "Thank you – thank you very much. Thank you for your
trust and your kind support. This means more to me than you can
possibly imagine.

"I am proud to be your team-mate, proud to be the captain of
this winning team and proud of our achievements. And I am excited
to be taking on the challenges that await us over the next four
years.

"I know that I can count on you. And you know that you can count
on me. It is the closeness of that bond between us that makes us
strong and allows us to take these bold and courageous decisions –
decisions which always pay off.

"This mutual trust, this participatory democracy, is our
hallmark, our trademark, and we will continue to work this way over
the next four years. You have my word on that.

"As you know, my re-election also means that I continue as FIFA
vice-president for another four years. We Europeans want a strong
FIFA – a FIFA that is respectable and respected – since FIFA is and
always will be football's supreme authority, the sport's ultimate
governing body.

"I hope to make the right decisions at the right time, both for
you and for football, during my third term.

"And I hope to do so while continuing to enjoy myself as much as
I have for the past eight years. Because leading this remarkable
institution is not just an honour, it is also a genuine pleasure
day to day. And for that I can but thank you, once again."